Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-29
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The graph below gives information on the numbers of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia for the period 2000 to 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
he graph provides information on the number of participants in various activities at a social center in Melbourne, Australia, from 2000 to 2020. The activities include film club, martial arts, amateur dramatics, table tennis, and musical performances.
The film club consistently had the highest number of participants, starting at around 60 in 2000 and slightly increasing to about 65 by 2020. Martial arts began with approximately 35 participants in 2000 but gradually declined to around 25 by 2020. Amateur dramatics had about 25 participants in 2000, fluctuating to a peak of 30 in 2005 and 2015 before falling to 15 by 2020.
Table tennis maintained relatively stable numbers, starting at 20 participants in 2000 and increasing slightly to 25 by 2020. Musical performances started with nearly zero participants in 2000 but saw significant growth, reaching around 20 participants by 2020.
In summary, the film club remained the most popular activity, while musical performances experienced the most notable increase in participation. In contrast, martial arts and amateur dramatics saw declines, and table tennis showed a slight upward trend.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student covers all parts of the task by reporting on the main features, trends, and comparisons across the five activities shown in the line graph. An appropriate overview is provided in the final paragraph, capturing the main highlights such as the film club's enduring popularity and the notable growth in musical performances. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in reading the data from the graph; for instance, the student states that martial arts declined to 'around 25' by 2020 when the chart shows it at approximately 36, and table tennis is described as starting at 20 in 2000 (actual was around 16) and reaching 25 in 2020 (actual was 54). Despite these data discrepancies, the overall trends are generally captured, and the response fulfills the requirements of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged logically with a clear overall progression. It begins with a standard introductory sentence, follows with well-structured body paragraphs discussing individual activities, and concludes with an effective summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different groups of data. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas and make comparisons, such as 'In contrast' and 'In summary', although referencing and transitions between sentences are at times somewhat basic or mechanical. Nevertheless, the progression of information is easy to follow and meets the expectations of Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data trends such as 'consistently had the highest', 'gradually declined', 'fluctuating to a peak', and 'stable numbers'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some success, though there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice and data interpretation. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary use is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly without impeding the reader's understanding, earning a solid Band 6 rating.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as participle clauses ('starting at around 60 in 2000') and subordinate clauses. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, most notably the lowercase opening letter of the very first word ('he graph'), but overall, the grammatical control is adequate. The errors present do not impede communication, and the majority of simple sentences are accurate. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors for grammar.
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